This application is directed to railway car doors and more particularly, to railway car doors for use with removable filler members.
The prior art shows various systems for retaining cargo in a railway car depending on the type of cargo loaded in the railway car. One such system utilizes straps having their opposing ends anchored to opposing car sides and extending across the railway car to restrain movement of cargo in the railway car. The prior art has disclosed means for securing the opposing ends of the straps to opposing railway car sides which securement means are flush with the railway car sides to maximize the interior space of the car.
Another cargo restraining system of the prior art includes the use of rigid cargo restraining bars which have opposing ends removably secured to opposing sides of the railway car to thereby restrain movement of cargo in the car.
The prior art has disclosed the use of both cargo restraining systems in one car. For example, Synder, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,071, shows a cargo restraining device which provides various cargo or lading restraining members attached to the sides of the railway car and extending interiorly thereof. Rigid cargo restraining bars are removably secured to the cargo restraining members and extend between opposing sides of the railway car. The cargo restraining members to which the rigid cargo restraining bar is attached extend interiorly of the sides of the railway car and decrease the distance between both sides of the car. The cargo restraining members are removable when desired and thereby the effective width of the railway car between the opposing sides can be increased. The Snyder patent also provides means for securing the opposing ends of cargo restraining straps to the opposing sides of the railway car when the cargo restraining members are removed.
When the effective distance between the opposing sides of a railway car is decreased by the attachment of removable cargo restraining members, the cargo loaded on the railway car adjacent to the railway car door must be restrained from moving laterally against the railway car door. Accordingly, the distance between the railway car door and its opposing door or side must be effectively reduced by the same distance as the distance between the cargo restraining members secured to the opposing sides of the railway car. On the other hand, when the cargo restraining members are removed and the effective cargo distance between the opposing sides of the railway car is increased, it is desirable for the distance between the railway car door and its opposing door or side to be substantially the same as the distance between the opposing sides of the railway car to uniformly increase the space in which cargo may be carried.
The conventional railway plug door is adapted to be received in a door opening with the door being removable, in sequence, both laterally and longitudinally of the car. Gaskets are ordinarily provided around at least a portion of the periphery of the door and are adapted to be compressed against the frame of the door opening thereby to seal the opening.
The amount of lateral movement of the conventional railway plug door is sufficient, when the door is closed, to compress the gasket to seal the opening and, when the door is opened, to allow the door to clear the side wall of the railway car and thereby permit movement of the door longitudinally with respect to the car.
A typical operating mechanism for opening and closing a plug door includes a clevis attached to each of two pipes and a rod attached to each of the clevises. The rods are caused to reciprocate relative to the center of the door, thereby rotating the pipes. The rods are connected for reciprocation to a driven gear segment which is remotely actuated by a pinion rotationally connected to a handle. This rotating handle is the manually controlled mechanism for withdrawing the plug door from the door opening to permit it to move longitudinally along the car parallel to the car side wall or to laterally insert it in the opening. To minimize the time and effort necessary to open the door, the clearance between the door and the car side, when the door is opened, is maintained at a minimum. Accordingly, it is desirable to move the door a second, lesser distance in the lateral direction out of the opening when means for decreasing the effective distance between the railway car door and its opposing sides such as filler members, are not attached to the door and correspondingly a first, greater distance when such filler members are attached to the door. In addition, it is desirable to provide filler members which may be easily secured or removed from the door with conventional fasteners using standard wrenches.
When the door is movable laterally into and out of the opening in the side of the car, different distance, it is desirable that stop means be provided to prevent damage to the railway door by impact with adjacent members of the car. It is desirable to have a stop means which is adjustable to prevent damage to the door when it is either a lesser or greater lateral distance from the door opening and capable of positioning the door adjacent the opening.
This invention provides the desirable features described above by providing a railway car door having filler members which are removably attached to the inside of the door. The filler members project into the car by an amount substantially the same as the internal projection of the cargo restraining members. When the cargo restraining members are removed, the filler members may be removed. This invention provides means for selectively increasing the amount of rotation of pipes and cracks on the door. Thus, when the filler members are attached to the door, the pipes and cracks can move a greater rotational distance which allows the door to move a greater distance laterally out of the opening to clear the side wall. Alternatively, when the filler members are not attached to the door, the pipes and cracks can move a lesser rotational distance which is sufficient to move the door a lesser distance laterally out of the opening to clear the side wall. This invention also provides adjustable door stop means which protects the door from damage by impact with other doors or adjacent car structural members and is adjustable to compensate for the distance, whether greater or lesser as described above, which the door is moved laterally into or out of the opening in the car.